


Regifting

by SpiralSpace



Series: Rose's Banner [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Rose Quartz is Upper Crust AU, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 21:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7950364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiralSpace/pseuds/SpiralSpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being part of a new household can be challenging. It doesn't help if you're thinking of yourself as part of the furniture.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Regifting

**Author's Note:**

> In this AU Rose Quartz was born on Homeworld, and was part of the Gem elite at some point prior to the rebellion, because Rose Is Pink Diamond can live on in our hearts or something. The fic is about how Rose and Pearl met under those circumstances.

A Pearl stood before the gates. The Pearl had chalk-white skin, and a brilliant blue ribbon wrapped around her waist, tying into a bow at the back. The Pearl knew that these gates guarded the assigned manor of the Revered Rose Quartz. She knocked.

To her surprise, it was Rose Quartz who opened them. Nonetheless, she spoke as she had rehearsed, “Her Brilliance sends her congratulations to you on the orbit of your hard-earned housing reassignment, and hopes that this Pearl will make an adequate housewarming gift.”

“Oh! Well I couldn’t hope for a prettier Pearl, thank you! But is everything alright?”

The Pearl responded, her composure and posture plainly perfect, “This pearl cannot hope to understand the reasoning of a Diamond, but it is sure that White Diamond was engaged in important work during the original housewarming ceremony.”

“I meant, why are you crying?”

“This Pearl-“ She swallowed, and paused for a long time. Until eventually it all came rushing out. “This Pearl is not an adequate gift. Because it was not adequate, it was passed from White Diamond down to your revered honor, which was intended to insult both yourself and its original sender, Blue Diamond. But it cannot perform even that task properly.”

Rose sighed, deepening the cracks of fear in the Pearl’s already fragile heart. The intimidating gem shook her head. “You must have been made what? About ten cycles ago? Born yesterday and already you understand so much about this place. White Diamond has made it quite clear before now how she feels about my promotion. But I know she didn’t tell –you- any of that. I’d say figuring it out on your own is pretty far beyond adequate.” She glanced at the halls behind her, thinking. “The first door on the left is the sunroom. Inside is an unencrypted datapad. You are to report to the sunroom, and spend the remainder of the day preparing a list of things you like.” She turned soundlessly and glided into the unfurnished bowels of the manor, leaving the Pearl alone at the door.

“No!” she exclaimed. “The pearl is not defective, it can work!”

“Please,” she whispered. But the back of Rose’s head, despite its seemingly infinite pink curls, had nothing more to say to the Pearl either.

-

The Pearl ran into Rose immediately the next morning, because she was waiting in the hall outside her room.

“Lovely day, isn’t it?”

She didn’t respond.

Rose pressed on. “Feeling any better?”

…

“You may learn your way around the house.” She was another datapad. “Take inventory.” 

More pretend work, she thought. 

“Acknowledged,” the Pearl said.

-

They had not talked since. The task had been completed almost instantly. The house was mostly empty of furnishings, but to the Pearl’s surprise it also seemed empty of people. She had spent the day aimlessly wandering since this discovery, trying to find something that would explain this to her. Even in the absence of proper help, a commander like Rose would be permitted to order some of her subordinates to see to her needs. Perhaps those unruly-looking gems that security was harassing down the street were…

There was a knock at the door. The Pearl rushed to the front hall but was horrified to find that she was too late. Rose was already greeting their guest, casually, datapad in hand and posture relaxed as if this was just a chance street encounter. The Pearl crept up and peered around Rose. Her face flushed. Rose was viewing the list she wrote last night! That kept much more of her attention than the guest; a courier delivering yet another late gift. This one, however, was from a minor noble who was, in honesty, probably not in a position to be making that statement. Regardless, they were gone quickly. 

As the door shut, she immediately turned to Rose. “The Revered Rose Quartz cannot greet guests at the door!”

“I… believe I just did?”

She resisted the urge to sigh. “To speak more clearly, it could be considered impolite for one of your status to meet your guest directly. For example, that courier’s master might take offense that you didn’t trust her messenger enough to leave them to the servants." The Pearl braved to go further. "It is typically left to the Pearl to receive guests, and to manage their passing on to an audience or a meeting.”

“Very well. You can be in charge of audiences and meetings if you want to be.” Rose went back to reading off the datapad, nonchalant.

-

The Pearl was bored, as always. Rose Quartz was usually away on assignments, and when she wasn’t, her guests were few and uninteresting. Existence was watching the patrols make their way among the mansions of the upper crust from an upper window. A decision was made to flake off and watch Rose’s training regimen, which the Pearl had always been curious about.

To nobody’s surprise, Rose didn’t seem to care about the dereliction of duty. She may have even been too distracted by the combat dummy to notice. As the Pearl took a seat on the floor of the sparring hall, the hovering, ornery-looking metal machine was spitting balls at the far wall, while Rose tried to intercept them with her shield or body. She strained and grunted with effort, and by her skill it looked like the wall would be utterly protected from the sphere menace. But suddenly, the machine began to smoke and rattle, and shot out a rogue orb, dangerously fast and charged with crackling energy. It struck Rose in the shoulder, and she winced.

“Ugh, sandblasted thing!” she snarled.

“It might be useful for the Pearl to attempt maintenance on the power relays.” 

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that.”

She stared fixedly at Rose’s gleaming shield, and said tartly, “The Pearl is not being saved from anything,”

Comprehension could be seen settling on Rose’s face. “Oh,” she replied. “I see.”

-

“Pearl reporting: energy parasites have been detected, tracked to the house’s crystal heart, and purged without permanent structural damage. This should prevent further power surges, and will likely resolve 90% or more of the recent wave of mechanical malfunctions plaguing the household.”

“Oh, that is wonderful news.” Rose smiled deviously. “I was wondering what was good enough to get you singing this morning.”

“I was not-“ That phrasing wasn’t coming out right. Best to start over. “Respectfully, the Pearl does not remember singing this morning. Perhaps a sweep should be done for potential intruders?”

“There’s no need to hide it. I think you have an excellent voice.”

It was around that moment that I first realized how infuriating working for Rose Quartz was going to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Changing grammatical person is just a cheap tactic to make weak fics stronger!
> 
> Anyway, if you liked this, consider checking out the rest of the series for more snapshots of Pearl and Rose's early relationship in the Rose Quartz is Upper Crust AU.


End file.
